The sea breeze kissed the lightly tanned skin of a young man standing on the bow of a large pirate ship. His vibrant blue eyes took in the sight of the island before him. His shaggy blonde hair blew in the wind, blocking his vision for a moment. With a sigh, he raised his left hand to clear his view. The focus of his attention was an island with large walls and moving searchlights. The buildings upon the island towered high into the air, a broken ship similar to his own topping the island off like a cherry upon a sundae. This island was known as the Forsaken Fortress, or it used to be. The island was the bane of the ocean, rumored to be cursed, until the young man had put an end to its inhabitant's reign of terror.
The young man's name was Link, and he was a descendant of the Hero of Time himself. Five years ago, he returned Ganondorf to the realm that held him captive. Since that victory, Link traveled the high seas, continuing the era of peace. Of age eighteen now, Link was a grown man. His structured arms flexed as he loaded an arrow into his bow and took aim. Bracing himself in a crouched position, he loosed an arrow and grinned cheekily as it hit its target. The arrow had sliced through a rope, releasing a door that previously prevented him from sailing into the fortress.
"Oi! Drop the landing boats!" He shouted to his crew.
They all replied with a unanimous 'Aye Cap'n!' as they scrambled about the ship.
Link continued to grin as he stared at the fortress before him. After working hard to destroy the barrier Ganondorf left, the lair was now his and he planned to keep it that way.
What Link didn't know, was that another presence had already settled into the fortress he so coveted.
A slender form clad in purple stood before a sheen, black mirror. The figure stood in a darkened room, curtains restrained the light that fought to shine through the windows. Candles littered the floor, each glowing with an eerie blue light. The figure turned its head towards the windows, its eyes flashing red in the darkness. The figure sniffed the air with a rumbling growl, stalking towards the windows. The candles blew out with a sudden gust. The curtains were thrown open by the figure's small, violet colored hands. With light now flooding inside, the figure was revealed to be a young woman. Her angled face held a hardened expression and her now purple eyes glowed with hatred. Her long, elven like ears poked through her waist length violet hair that was tucked under a conical cap. The cap was adorned with jewels of gold and ruby. She was tall and slender, a beautiful, but strange woman all together. Her eyes narrowed as she found the source of her irritation. Rowing up to the now open entrance to her fortress was a pirate crew. She hissed in anger, shutting the curtains and setting the candles ablaze. Her long, purple cape flurried behind her violent movements as she returned to the center of the candles, before the black mirror. She began to mutter in an unknown language, chanting louder and louder, until she disappeared in a blaze of fire.
Link and his crew began to cheer and sing songs of victory as they rowed beyond the walls of the fortress, each one of them completely ready to crack open a barrel of mead and have a good time. They reached the shore and continued to sing their songs, marching for comedy as they headed for the large entrance doors. Link held up a hand and his men fell silent, making rank behind him. Link stood proudly before the large group of rowdy young men, drawing his sword and holding it high above his head.
"Now men! After five long years, we have broken Ganondorf's lasting hold on this fortress!" The men broke out in a loud cheer.
"After five long years, we will finally have control over Ganondorf's pride and joy!"Another cheer from the men.
"After five long years, Ganondorf's reign of terror is officially over and peace will rule over the seas!"
They all cheered for one last time and Link confidently turned to be the first to open the fortress. His men cheered him on, breaking out into song yet again.
However, their victory was short lived. A pillar of blue flame blazed before Link, burning his right arm that held his shield before him. He quickly ran backwards, fleeing from the flames. The fire spun like a tornado before dissipating to reveal the woman from before. Her violet skin glowed as her eyes turned red, balls of blue flame roared in her palms. Many of Link's men shouted in fear, retreating to their boats, they had never faced an adversary such as she. The woman roared and shot the blue flames at whomever she could, setting more than one crew member ablaze. Link watched in horror as his men screamed in pain, running as quickly as possible to the watery moat to quench the flames that burned their skin.
Anger coursed through Link's veins, an anger he had not felt since the days of Ganondorf. He bellowed a battle cry that sounded so foreign to his ears, it was a cry he had not uttered since his final showdown with the King of Darkness himself. He rushed the woman, sword raised in reckless abandon. He cared not for the gender of his enemy, whether man or woman, a threat was a threat to him. The woman appeared surprised when Link's sword came down from above but moved in time to avoid a clean cut through her left shoulder. Link continued to swing, grazing the woman's arm and leaving a gash that began to seep black blood. The woman hissed in pain and shot black and purple energy at him as she levitated inches off the ground. Link blocked her attack with his shield, ducking his head. The woman moved in close, seeing her opportunity to end this man. She underestimated Link's speed. Within a second of her closing in, Link used his strength to throw her to the ground, sitting on top of her. He held her arms in his right hand, binding them together to contain her magic while his left held his sword to her throat. The blade nicked her violet skin, causing her abnormal black blood to slowly weep from the wound.
"Who are you, and how did you break inside Ganondorf's barrier?" Link questioned breathlessly, taking in the woman's appearance. If she hadn't been his enemy, Link would have found her highly attractive. Her thin body held curves that attracted his attention in a way that was not fitting to the current situation.
"And why should I answer to you?" The woman returned, extending her neck away from his shining silver blade. Link growled in frustration, gripping her wrists tighter.
"Because I'm the one with a sword to your throat." His blade cut her neck deeper than before, causing her to flinch in purple eyes burned with hatred as she gritted her teeth. Finally her face began to relax, she couldn't take the pain any longer. It had been a very long time since she was ever put in such a compromising position, she never lost.
"My name is Vaati. I am a Wind Sorceress and that is how I broke through Ganon's barrier." She said quietly, stretching and squirming, trying to avoid his blade.
"And why did you attack us?"
"This is my home."
"I think you are mistaken, girl."
Vaati hissed, but Link pressed his sword to her throat yet again.
"I alone defeated Ganondorf. This is my home.
"Vaati's eyes widened and her heart began to pound in sudden fear. The man who had her pinned was the very man who killed Ganondorf. If there was one person in the land for her to fear, he was that person.
"So you have heard of me." Link said with an arrogant laugh before his face turned serious. "Now girl, give me one good reason why I shouldn't slit your throat right this very second."
Vaati's mind scrambled for something, anything she could possibly tell him to gain more time. She was at a complete loss until she started to fit the pieces together, a plot forming in her dark mind. Link however, had already grown impatient with her and was applying more pressure to his blade. Vaati nearly screamed in pain as her flesh burned from the power of the Master Sword.
"S-Stop! I-I know of a plot!" She stammered, trying her hardest to get away from the sword.
Link perked up and lightened the sword's pressure. "Go on." He murmured.
"There are others, like me, and they want to release Ganondorf." She said quickly as she heard her skin still fizzling with the after effects of the sword's burning of her flesh. She saw her black blood dripping off his blade and onto her clothing. Link's eyes widened slightly, but he tried to hide both his surprise, and his interest in the subject. He gave her another look to continue.
"Many wind sorcerers and sorceresses remain loyal to Ganondorf and oppose the current ways of the land. For a long time, it was mere drabble, arguments over loyalty and pointless fighting. That is, until my brother became involved. He came up with some way to release Ganondorf from your seal."
"I don't believe you. My seal cannot be broken." Link growled, placing his sword against her neck again, hearing her skin hiss and burn.
"Believe what you want, Mister Hero! You'll regret killing me though." Vaati shouted as she winced in pain. She could feel her eyes beginning to well with tears against her will and chastised herself for being so weak.
"And why is that Miss Sorceress?"
"Because I'm the only person living in this land who knows how to enter the Wind Temple. I'm also the only one who would tell you."
Link's brain began to break down her every word, every tone inflection, any and every possibility that she was bluffing. His problem was, he couldn't find one. He noticed a few tears slowly falling down her cheeks and glanced down at his sword, realizing just how much damage he had done to her neck.
He leaned down close to her elongated ears."If I release you, don't make me regret it." He whispered.
Vaati felt a shiver run down her spine, in both fear, and pleasure. There was something about his controlling tone that was almost, attractive… Which was strange, Vaati definitely was not a girl who liked to be controlled, by anyone. Least of all, this wannabe cool boy with a hero complex. But for some reason, her body accepted the situation and that irritated her the most.
Link slowly climbed off of Vaati, releasing her hands and raising his sword from her throat. He held the tip level with her neck, taking precautions. Vaati shakily raised herself to her feet, cursing her weakness. She began to cough and caught a glob of black blood in her palm, tossing it to the ground in disgust. Link's eyes had not moved from her neck, where her violet skin was blackened by both a burn, and her thick, oozing blood. Link felt a pang of guilt in his heart, he hadn't intended to harm her so badly, and it was a wound that appeared capable of festering and becoming infected.
"Don't look at me with those eyes, I can see you pitying me." Vaati hissed angrily, glaring at him as she dusted herself off.
"Why would I pity you!" Link shouted, attempting to save face since she caught him. "You're some freaky purple girl who attacked me, what could I possibly have to pity you over?"
Vaati hissed again, her eyes blazing red as she restrained herself from setting him on fire. Being pitied was one of her most hated things in this world, another hated thing: The word 'freak.' Basically, this man was pushing any and every button possible at the moment. She let out a pent up breath before looking to him with less hostile eyes.
"So what's your name anyway, hero boy?"
"Link."
Vaati nodded her head slightly, not sure what Link was going to decide as his next move.
"Follow me, I need to gather my men." Link instructed, walking to her side, his sword still pointed at her throat. Vaati complied, feeling like a leashed lap dog, obeying her master's every command.
Link shouted for his men to gather and slowly, members of his crew climbed the stairs from the moat, approaching Link and Vaati with caution. Every man was staring at Vaati, some looked curious, some looked frightened, some (freakishly) looked attracted. Vaati felt like some kind of animal in a show, being shown off like a prize, a spoil of war. She heard the murmurs ripple through the crowd of men, words here and there.
'Skin, purple, body, red eyes, breasts, hair, blood, demon.' She shifted uncomfortably under their stares as Link began to speak.
"Men, this is Vaati. She is a Wind Sorceress. She has provided me with information I have deemed helpful and beneficial to the greater good. At this time, that information shall remain disclosed, so do not ask me what it was. Just know this, Vaati will remain our prisoner until I deem otherwise. However, I expect you all to behave as you would towards another man. If I hear of any of you taking advantage of her captivity there most certainly will be repercussions." Link's voice was stern, commanding, and deep.
"Aye aye sir!" The men returned, saluting Link.
"Good!" Link said with a large smile before turning to look at Vaati.
"Since you seem to know this place so well, show us around. I would like to have a grasp of my new home's layout." He commanded, gesturing to the doors of the fortress with his sword. Vaati held back a comment about it being her home and complied with his wishes, silently leading the way inside the doors of the fortress.
With Vaati in the lead, Link and the pirates navigated the fortress, one of the pirates, Nero, jotting down a rough map of the structure. Nero was a handsome young man with a tan that showed how much time he spent working on the ship. His tanned skin complimented his bright amber eyes and his short black hair suited him. His toned arms appeared just for show as he diligently took on such a delicate task as drawing a map. For the young age of seventeen, Nero had a gift for cartography and Link appreciated having him as a member of his crew. Many other members of Link's crew were also gifted in other fields, most were highly useful in the life of a sailor.
After a long while, they all arrived at the top of the spiraled structure, all that remained was the ship at the top of the fortress. Vaati was reluctant to lead them inside of her home, her bedroom, where her secrets lay. Link urged her forward with a light tap to her lower back. She cursed him internally before she approached the door and grasped the handles. She threw the doors open, revealing a large room full of stairs, at the top of those stairs, the entrance to the boat. Link recognized the room instantly, it was the room that so long ago housed his kidnapped sister, and many other young girls from across the sea. Everything about his adventure was suddenly so fresh, the sights, the smells. He felt familiar adrenaline pump through his veins as he anticipated an ambush. After a few moments passed without the slightest sign of life in the building, Link began to relax. Vaati lead them up the large staircases and forced herself to open the final door between them and her private life.
The door swung open silently, light filtering in from the doorway. The room was pitch black, thanks to the curtains covering the windows. Link had a crew member take over guarding Vaati as he entered first, his sword glowing like a beacon. The Master Sword twitched impatiently in his hands, sensing the darkness that filled the room they stood in. Link walked inside hesitantly, eyes shifting constantly as he approached the covered windows. He threw the curtains open, the room exploding with light. Vaati hissed in pain, gathering her cloak around her body and shielding her eyes.
Well, there's one more weakness. Link thought to himself as he began to walk around the room with a little more confidence.
He observed the melted candles that sat on the floor in front of an all black mirror. Link paused before the mirror, staring at his reflection. The black color of the mirror distorted the colors of the real world. The Master Sword shifted in his hands, pulling him towards the mirror, it wanted it destroyed. Link resisted his sword's pull and held firm, sheathing his weapon.
Vaati attempted to contain the excitement in her eyes as Link stood before the Dark Mirror, one of her fangs poking out of her mouth in a cheeky smirk. Link approached the mirror and raised a gloved hand to the surface, its cool exterior meeting with his warm flesh. He lowered his hand a few seconds later, continuing to examine the room.
Vaati fought to keep her jaw from dropping, why hadn't he been dragged into the dark realm? There was something more powerful than expected in that man, and she wanted to know just what exactly that was.
"Men, this will be my room. Each man may decide individually where he would like to board. If there is any quarrel, speak with first mate Petrel." Link announced as he lounged across what used to be Vaati's bed.
Standing to his side was a tall, tanned man with burning brown eyes and dark blue hair. He wore no shirt and carried a bow and quiver of arrows. A long turquoise tribal tattoo intricately spiraled around his body, front and back.
"Petrel." Link said quietly.
"Aye cap'n?"
"You take the quarters nearest to here. Also, place the prisoner in chains in the next room and have Nero guard her."
"Yes cap'n." Petrel responded, leaving Link's side to gather the men and follow through with his orders.
Each man filed out of the room except for Petrel, Nero, and Vaati. Link remained lounged on the bed. Petrel drew an arrow and aimed it at Vaati.
"Downstairs." He ordered glared but complied, making her way downstairs and into the cell that was against the wall. Petrel bound her wrists in chains against the wall, preventing her from using her magic. He exited the cell cautiously, still on guard in case Vaati could still possibly attack.
"Nero!" He barked, turning to see Nero still at the top of the staircase, scribbling on his map. The young man jumped in surprise, seeing Petrel glaring in his direction. He yelped softly and hurried downstairs, coming to a halt before Petrel, saluting him.
"Yes sir." Nero said quickly.
"Guard the prisoner." Petrel said before walking off towards his new quarters.
"Yes sir!"
Vaati raised her head to glance over the young man outside of her cell who found a stool and sat on it nearby. He pulled a piece of yellowed parchment from inside of his shirt and picked up a piece of charcoal from where he had placed it on the floor. His hand began to slowly move over the parchment, detailing his map of the fortress. Vaati raised her head, trying to see what the man was doing, she was curious. Nero noticed her looking his way and paused his work, finally fully looking at the exotic woman.
"What's your name?" She asked softly, maybe she could use this boy to get out somehow.
Nero glanced around, checking to see if anyone would see or hear him talking to Vaati.
"Nero." He replied softly.
Nero felt his cheeks heat up slightly as he observed her foreign beauty. She was nothing like any girl he had ever seen on any island. She was taller than the women he was used to, skinnier, and her angled features attracted his artistic eye. Her exotic clothing exposed seductive patches of her violet colored skin and Nero, being a man, wished to know just how those soft curves felt. Most of all, he had an itch to document her beauty on paper, everything about her begged him to draw.
Vaati nodded her head slightly when he said his name but winced, her neck was in pain. Nero suddenly noticed the large wound on her neck and stood to his feet, abandoning the map he was drawing. Without a word, he disappeared, hurrying to find bandages. Vaati sat there in confusion, wondering where the boy could have possibly gone when he returned, his arms full of medical supplies. Vaati raised an angled eyebrow as he breathlessly entered the cell and crouched beside her. He began to unroll the bandages and noticed her skeptical look.
"Your neck." He explained softly.
Without waiting for permission, Nero began to wrap her neck with bandages, softly apologizing whenever she flinched in pain. Soon, her neck was bandaged nicely and Nero relaxed, proud of his work. Her black blood was already seeping through the bandages, but at least she was less likely to be infected. As he sat there, Nero again noticed her overwhelmingly artistic beauty. Blushing profusely, Nero opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by Link's bellowing voice.
"Nero! Now is the time for celebrations! I'll send someone to relieve you, let us enjoy some mead together!" Link called from the top of the stairs before dropping down and rolling into his landing with athletic skill.
Nero closed his mouth and glanced at Vaati for a moment before gathering the bandages and leaving the cell.
What was he going to say? Vaati wondered curiously as she glared at Link, who approached the cell with an arrogant smile on his face.
She could tell he had used her room to freshen up. He had removed his hat and combed through his blonde hair, giving it a less 'just off the high seas' look. He wore a simple tunic, his muscled arms showing as he placed his hands on his hips, a dagger was on his side, his sword no longer on his back. He held a red tunic in his hands and presented it to Nero.
"Here's a fresh tunic." He said with a smile, gesturing to Nero's blood and dirt stained tunic. Nero thanked him and began to change.
"You like mead, girl?" Link asked, addressing Vaati, who was slightly distracted. "It's alright." She replied, her eyes looking past Link to the man that had shown her kindness as he changed.
Nero's lean back was exposed and Vaati noticed long, knotted scars running in multiple directions across his tanned skin. His body turned back towards the cell as he began to pull the tunic down. But that wasn't before Vaati caught a glimpse of the lines on his hips that disappeared beneath his pants and his rippling abdominal muscles. She had not been so attracted to a man, let alone a human, in a long time.
"Oi! Girl!" Link bellowed impatiently.
Vaati flinched, her sensitive ears ringing.
"Yes hero boy?" She seethed.
"Were you listening to me at all?" Link questioned heatedly. "I said I'd bring you some mead."
"No thank you." Vaati declined, feeling stubborn and proud. She did not wish to accept anything from Link.
"I'm bringing you mead."
"Well I won't drink it."
"You infuriating woman! I am trying to be kind, why will you not accept my kindness!" Link remained silent, leaning her head against the cell wall as she closed her growled in frustration and left to join his men in celebration, Nero followed him timidly, feeling awkward having witnessed the argument. However, he was curious whether she was thirsty or not. He wasn't a big fan of mead, or drinking, so maybe he could sneak a pint away for her.
Once nearly every crew member, including Link was drunk, Nero snuck away from the celebrations. With half a pint of mead carefully tucked against his body, he returned to where Vaati was being held. As he entered her cell, Vaati's eyes opened slowly, glowing in the candle-lit room.
"Here." Nero whispered, holding the pint up to her lips.
Vaati's eyes widened in surprise, but she slowly opened her mouth as Nero carefully tipped the pint towards her. She swallowed a few gulps and found a smile on her lips as her thirst was quenched and warmth blossomed in her chest.
"Is it good?" Nero asked quietly, hoping the darkness of the room would hide the red on his cheeks.
"Yes, very." Vaati replied, continuing to smile up at him. "Thank you, for your kindness."
Nero was surprised by her gratitude. "O-Oh, it's nothing, really." He assured her before taking a few steps back and lowering himself onto the floor. "Er… Vaati? What's it like to be a wind sorceress?" He asked softly.
Nero always craved to know more, to explore the unknown. Joining Link's crew was his greatest moment in life, he had finally found a way to see the world. And now, he had a woman sitting before him that must have the most amazing stories and secrets that he yearned to hear. To think, that she knew of a place like the Wind Temple that was only spoken of like a fairytale… That she may have even lived there at one point, it excited him greatly.
Vaati was slightly taken aback by his question. Why should this young human boy have any interest in what it was like to be her?
"It's a life very different from your own. Why do you ask?"
"I-I was… Just curious. My grandmother used to talk about the wind tribe, and its gifted people. I've always wanted to know more about them…"
For the second time that night, Vaati found herself smiling a gentle smile. Nero was a rugged, handsome sailor, but he was still so young, so curious.
"I grew up in the Wind Tribe village." She began. "The village is at the bottom of a mountain, at the top, is the Wind Temple. Once you are old enough, you begin your instruction to start controlling wind. Some children showed potential long before others. I was one of those children. While most kids would go in for training around age eleven or twelve, I began my training when I was eight." She paused for a breath, feeling her throat drying out. She cleared it softly and Nero broke his attention to pick the pint of mead back up.
"Here, drink this." He said softly, smiling gently at her.
After a few sips, Vaati thanked him again before continuing her story.
"Besides starting my training before the others, I began to show the capability to manipulate elements besides wind. If you didn't notice earlier, I have dominion over fire."
Nero nodded slightly and laughed from his place on the ground, his face akin to a captivated child's.
"So, what happened?" He inquired when she did not continue immediately.
"I was shunned for being different, for being better. People fear power, and they fear differences."
A silence hung in the air between the two of them and Nero shifted uncomfortably, a question on the tip of his tongue.
"I-… Is there any way you might…" He trailed off.
"Might?"
"Might teach me wind magic…?"
"Why would you want to learn wind magic?"
"Because I want to learn everything I possibly can, and right now I have a wind sorceress who could possibly teach me."
"It's difficult for humans to learn, as they are not from the wind tribe."
"I will dedicate myself."
There is no discouraging this boy. Vaati thought to herself before allowing a sigh to escape her thin lips. Though, she could not deny that she admired his determination.
"Fine, come here." She told him. "Closer… Closer… Lean over."
Nero complied, finding himself bent over, nearly eye level with her. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks as he awaited further instruction. Vaati leaned up until her lips met with his and she opened his mouth, releasing a large amount of air into his system. Nero, not understanding the situation was turning as red as a twenty piece rupee. When she didn't pull away immediately, he slowly slipped his tongue into her mouth, kissing her. Vaati was surprised and quickly pulled her head away.
"What are you doing?" She questioned heatedly.
"What am I doing? What were you doing?" Nero returned, feeling flustered.
"I was transferring my natural ability to help you learn wind magic easier. What I would like to know is what you were doing."
Nero's face felt like it was on fire.
"O-oh… I was… uh. Kissing you?" He answered timidly.
On the outside the glare shot at him was enough to make him shiver. On the inside, Vaati was having a hard time telling herself that she didn't like it.
"Never, ever, do that, without my permission." She growled.
"Y-yes ma'm." Nero stammered as he backed away from her. He looked at her arms, that were hung above her body, the position was surely tiring. Risking punishment, he pulled a key from around his neck and unlocked the chains on her arms. Vaati gasped loudly, slowly lowering her stiff and sore limbs, curling them against her sides in pain.
"Why did you do that? What's to stop me from killing you and escaping?"
Nero smiled warmly. "I trust you."
A blush crept onto Vaati's cheeks thanks to his words, trust was something she rarely gained from people.
"I'll be right back, I'm sure you're starving." Nero said softly before leaving the cell with a warm, happy look in place on his face.
Vaati smiled to herself as she watched him walk away before reaching forward, picking up the pint of mead. She slowly drained what was left and found herself content. She yawned largely, stretching her sore muscles before standing to her feet to stretch her legs. She wrapped her cloak over her body, seeking refuge in it's familiar warmth. Before long, Nero returned with a small plate of assorted foods from the celebratory party.
Vaati felt her mouth begin to water as she thanked him and relieved him of the plate. Nero sat down beside her, leaning his back against the wall. Slowly, she made work of the food and saved the best for last, a small turkey leg. She finished the food and took a drink of some water he also brought her, beginning to feel tired. Before she could think twice, she was drifting off to sleep. Her thin body slumped sideways, landing in Nero's lap, much to his surprise. He tensed, afraid of waking her and making her angry.
After a few moments of listening to her soft breathing he began to relax. Outside he could hear everyone still loudly celebrating. However, regardless of the noise outside, Nero was finding his own peace of mind as he slowly stroked his fingers through the ends of her soft hair. He smiled to himself as his eyes began to close and he also fell asleep.